Strange noises are common. Like in many partition horror stories, you'll hear scratching, knocking or whispering sounds coming from the partition. Another common element is the feeling of being watched. People often feel uneasy as if there are eyes on them when they are near the partition.
One common element is the discovery of something unexpected behind the partition. For example, in some stories, old and forgotten items are found, or even evidence of past tragedies. Also, there is often a change in the atmosphere. Before the partition, everything was normal, but after it, the place feels cold, dark, and spooky.
Often, there are unexplained events related to the partition. Such as objects moving on their own near the partition, or lights flickering. And in many partition horror stories, animals or insects start acting strangely around the partition, like dogs barking incessantly or spiders building large webs in a short time near it.
By character types. For instance, if the main characters are from different social classes, like in 'Romeo and Juliet'.
In an old building, the landlord partitioned a large room into smaller apartments. A tenant in one of the new apartments often smelled a strange odor coming from the partition wall. One day, while trying to figure out the source, they accidentally knocked a hole in the partition and found some old, rotting items that had been sealed behind the partition during an improper renovation long ago.
Fear of death is a big element in horror stories. The threat of death, whether it's from a serial killer or a supernatural force, is always present. Also, there's often a sense of helplessness. The characters find themselves in situations where they seem to have little control over what's happening to them. For instance, in 'The Blair Witch Project', the characters are lost in the woods and being hunted by an unknown entity. There's also the use of suspense. Writers build up the tension by delaying the reveal of the horror, making the readers or viewers more and more anxious as the story progresses.
Horror stories often feature a protagonist who is in over their head. They might start out as an ordinary person, like in 'Rosemary's Baby' where Rosemary is just a normal woman, but then they are thrust into a terrifying situation. Settings also play a big role. Abandoned asylums, cemeteries, and old mansions are common settings in horror stories as they have an air of mystery and danger already associated with them.
Isolation. Often, in IT horror stories, the characters are isolated. For example, a lone system administrator might be the only one in the server room when something strange starts to happen with the servers. Another common element is the loss of control. The technology that is supposed to be under human control suddenly starts acting on its own, like a self - driving car going berserk in an IT - related horror scenario.
Separation is a very common theme. Families and friends were torn apart as the new border was drawn. Another theme is loss, like the loss of home, as people had to leave their ancestral places. Also, there's the theme of identity, as people had to re - define themselves in the context of the new nation they belonged to.
Isolation is a key theme. The partition makes each lover feel isolated from the other in some way. They may be close in proximity but the partition creates a sense of loneliness. Also, hope is a theme. They hope that one day the partition will be removed, whether it's a physical wall or a social barrier, so that they can be together openly and freely.
One common theme is social inequality. Novels often show different groups in society being separated based on wealth, status, or power. For example, in many classic novels, the rich live in a different world compared to the poor.
Food quality issues are common. For example, finding bugs or foreign objects in the food.
Another is the discovery of strange or disturbing behavior during the date. Like the person having extreme mood swings or being overly possessive. For example, suddenly getting angry for no reason or acting like they own the other person right away.